HELSINKI — The deepening in bilateral defense collaboration between non-aligned Nordic states Sweden and Finland is expected to include the establishment of joint units and the sharing of naval and Air Force infrastructure.

Moreover, Sweden remains interested in selling the JAS Gripen-E to Finland, which has begun the process of replacing the Air Force’s F/A-18 C/D Hornet aircraft, which are scheduled to be retired between 2025 and 2030.

Although government officials remain tight lipped, the increasingly closer military cooperation between Finland and Sweden advances the possibility that Finland may opt to pursue a replacement strategy that includes two different NATO-compatible fighter types, one of which could be the Gripen E.

Ongoing defense negotiations between Finland and Sweden are focused on removing outstanding legal impediments that prohibit deeper military collaboration.

It is expected that future bilateral agreements will not only cover joint tasks and the sharing of naval ports and air bases, but will also allow each country to aid the other in the event of an armed attack.

In a joint statement released Jan. 10, Finnish and Swedish Prime Ministers Juha Sipilä and Stefan Löfven underscored the need to build a bilateral military collaboration structure that is practical and usable, warning that European security faces its gravest threat since the Cold War era.

"Finland and Sweden both operate outside of military alliances. We believe that this policy serves us well. We must rely on this experience in our assessment of the challenges currently facing us. Our military non-alignment contributes to the stability and security of Northern Europe as a whole. Even though we are not members in NATO, we cooperate with the organization. We have also a strong trans-Atlantic link," the statement read.

The unified approach being taken by Sweden and Finland to regional and European defense and security challenges suggest that neither country is eager to rush into joining a major military alliance such as NATO, said Ulf Kehl, a Berlin-based political analyst.

"Despite the recent talk over Finland and Sweden joining NATO, if this does happen it is likely to be a process far in the distant future. It seems clear that while both countries want to develop closer military ties with NATO and the European Union, neither state is in any hurry to abandon their present neutrality status," Kehl said.

The more immediate need for both Sweden and Finland is to build the basis for a stronger regional military-security alliance with NATO-neighbors Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, said Kehl.

"The traditional threat of Russia in the High North and the Baltic Sea remains, but it is the new and emerging threats, from ISIL and cyber warfare, that are also driving cooperation forward," Kehl said.

The so-called "NATO-question" on collaboration and possible future membership will remain a subject open for dialogue between Sweden and Finland, said Margot Wallström, Sweden’s foreign minister.

"It’s important that we work closely together on these important issues. We must try to maintain a common position [on NATO] as long as possible," Wallström said.

Sweden and Finland are continuing to deepen cooperation with NATO. In December, Sweden extended permission allowing for NATO AWAC surveillance aircraft to fly over Swedish airspace. The new six-month extension period will expire on May 31.

The NATO aircraft have the capacity to track other aircraft at distances of up to 250 miles and will fly over Swedish airspace on routes between Norway and Poland.

As part of defense-deepening, Finland and Sweden aim to remove the existing legal impediments that prohibit closer bilateral military cooperation, said Jussi Niinistö, Finland’s defense minister.

"What is clear is that there should not be statutory limitations that prevent consideration of providing Finnish resources to assist Sweden, or conversely, to prevent Finland from accepting help offered from Sweden," Niinistö said.

The inter-state dialogue on defense cooperation is expected to include the possibility of joint procurements.

However, the Finnish government has so far stopped short of declaring a special interest in purchasing the Gripen as part of its defense engagement with Sweden.

"There has been some speculative noise in Sweden that Saab would do a deal with Finland even in a theoretical contract situation where Finland chose to acquire two different aircraft types. Finland’s fighter replacement process has just commenced, so it is much too early to predict an outcome here," said Kehl.

The Finnish Ministry of Defense launched its HX Fighter Program at the end of 2015 on the back of an Expert Working Group report in June 2015 that recommended acquisition of a multirole fighter over carrying out an additional upgrade to the Air Force’s 61 F/A-18C/D aircraft.

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 and the Saab Gripen-E comprise the five fighter type candidates being considered by the HX Fighter Program.

The request for information (RfI) concerning the HX Fighter Program is due to be sent to aircraft manufacturers in March and replies are required by Oct. 31.

The HX Fighter Program is being run by the Air Force Command, which will be responsible for project execution and implementation. It is expected that a call for tender will be sent out by the Air Force Command in spring 2018. Under this time frame, the fighter selection decision would take place in 2021.

Hahahaha.... Sweden and Finland can make all the defence agreements they like... the reality is however that making military pacts that make them more powerful will just make them targets.

Right now they are not a problem so they are practically invisible to Russia, but if they join NATO or create a new defence arrangement with Sweden then they will be worthy of attention and focus and more importantly they will find their actual military requirements ignored and their new forces dictated to them by Brussels or Washington.

By all means they have every right to join military organisations to feel safer... but the huge irony is that joining a powerful military alliance will make them less safe and the whole security situation less stable in Europe...

Perhaps they need to shoot down some Russian planes... it clearly worked for turkey... NOT.

According to Michel Cabirol article «Sous-marins: la Norvège a choisi l'allemand ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems», published by the newspaper "La Tribune", Norway has decided to choose a shipbuilding company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) as an artist contract worth 4 billion euros for the construction of the six non-nuclear submarines on the basis of the submarine project 212. The losing side was a French group DCNS.

On March 29, 2017, the Norwegian government signed an intergovernmental agreement with the United States through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) on the acquisition of five new US patrol aircraft Boeing P-8A Poseidon for the Norwegian Air Force. The purchase price will be 9.825 billion Norwegian kroner (about 1.1 billion euros). The P-8A aircraft must replace the Norwegian Air Force with six currently used Lockheed P-3C / N Orion base patrol aircraft and two Dassault Falcon DA-20 ECM radio and radio reconnaissance aircraft.

Recall that the Norwegian government approved the purchase of five P-8A aircraft under the "Project 2047" ("Vidareføring av MPA-og ISR-kapasitet") program in November 2016.

The R-8A aircraft should be delivered to Norway in 2021-2022 and replaced by four P-3C and two P-3N aircraft in the 333rd Squadron of the Norwegian Air Force. Now the 333rd Squadron is based at the Annoya airbase in the north of Norway, but with the re-armament on the P-8A squadron it is planned to transfer to the Evenes airbase near Narvik (slightly to the south), and the Annoya base will be closed by 2023. It was reported that the Evenes base is also considered for the possible basing of the US Navy P-8A aircraft.

Thus, Norway became the fourth foreign customer of the P-8 aircraft after India (which received eight P-8I aircraft from 2012 to 2015 and ordered four more), Australia (which ordered 15 P-8A aircraft, the first aircraft was delivered in 2016) and Great Britain (which ordered nine P-8A aircraft for delivery in 2019-2021). The US Navy has so far ordered 117 P-8A aircraft, of which more than 50 have been delivered since 2012 (the 50th aircraft was transferred on January 5, 2017).

In 2000, Denmark purchased from the FRG for its ground forces 54 Leopard-2 tanks produced by Kraus-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) in version A4. By 2002, at the enterprises of the Danish OPK, they were brought to the requirements of national standards, and then in 2002-2005. Upgraded to version A5 by KMW. The main areas of work included:

• strengthening the passive protection of the crew and the tank; • Increasing the survivability of the running gear and the power-to-weight ratio of the machine, in accordance with the increase in weight with increasing reservation; • Improving the ergonomics of the working environment of the fighting compartment; • Introduction of modularity of the design and open architecture of systems and software to ensure subsequent upgrades.

For this purpose, 980 million Danish kroner (US $ 138.3 million at the 2002 rate) were spent.

Within the framework of the main programfor all 38 OBT "Leopard-2" will be installed:

1. New thermal imaging sights for commander and gunner;2. High-performance climate control system in the tower;3. auxiliary diesel generator in the supergun shelf for provision of electric power in the parking lot without starting the main engine;4. Side screens for protection against cumulative projectiles;5. air conditioning in the office;6. The strengthened suspension bracket for the increased weight of the car;7. Additional anti-mine protection of the case;8. camouflage kit for the front projection of the body;9. thermal imaging front-view camera for driver-mechanic;10. The upgraded 120mm L44 cannon and the new L55A1 gun - for 16 special vehicles (see below);11. Equipment of the tactical communication system and ASUB.

Additional changesit is planned to introduce into the design of 16 machines based on the experience of using the "Leopards" in Afghanistan, including:

12. Additional booking of the heads of observation instruments on the roof of the tower;13. external baskets of increased volume for the vehicles and spare parts;14. An additional fuel tank;15. External control panel with the emergency stop button - when in July 2008 during the explosion the mechanic was killed, the control of the car was lost and it was difficult to restore it;16. Screen-scattering devices on the engine exhausts to reduce the visibility of the machine in the infrared range;17. additional air compressor;18. anti-cumulative screens of increased area to protect the undercarriage;19. camouflage kit for side projections of the body;20. A new automatic fire extinguishing system;21. An armored box with a telephone in the aft part of the tank to communicate the commander of the cooperative infantry unit with the tank crew, especially when fighting in the village (previously a similar system was installed on the Danish "Leopard-1", but then such a useful experience was safely forgotten);22. regular turret installation for the machine gun above the charging hatch - in previous versions only the possibility of temporary fastening was provided;23. A wire cutter in the front of the tower to prevent damage to the obstructions of external parts and crew members in manholes when operating in urban conditions.

The Swedish Ministry of Defense in the evening of November 7, 2017 reported that the Swedish government authorized the Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets Materielverk (FMV) to enter into formal negotiations with the US for the purchase of US Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems for the Swedish armed forces. FMV must send an official request to the US Embassy in Sweden to begin intergovernmental negotiations on the acquisition of Patiot SAMs under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The purchase price is estimated at more than 10 billion Swedish kronor (about 1.3 billion dollars). Deliveries should be made between 2020 and 2025.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), on January 5, 2018, sent to the US Congress notices of the forthcoming sale of a part of the missile armament, including shipborne guided anti-aircraft missiles Raytheon ESSM and anti-ship missiles Boeing Harpoon Block II + ER to equip the four promising corvettes planned for the construction of the Finnish Navy Laivue 2020 ("Flotilla 2020"), as well as missile boats Hamina and coastal missiles х parts.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on February 20, 2018 sent a notice to the US Congress about the possible sale of Sweden through the foreign military sales (FMS) of intergovernmental foreign military sales of four modernized Patriot PAC-3 + surface-to-air missile systems. The sale is authorized by the US Department of State. The estimated cost of delivery is $ 3.2 billion.

Sweden signed an agreement to acquire the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system

The Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets Materielverk (FMV) signed on August 10, 2018, an official agreement with the US government on the acquisition of the Patriot PAC-3 + air defense system for the Swedish armed forces within the framework of the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The agreement was signed for the purchase of four batteries of SAMs, although its value has not yet been formally disclosed.

This incident occurred 04.00 local time Thursday morning in a controlled access section of the main northerly access route fjord NW of Bergen containing the major Sture oil loading terminal. It is access controlled by the Fedje Maritime Traffic Center, or Fedje VTS, which is responsible for coordinating all maritime traffic in the fjord. The congested nature of the waterway, especially with all the traffic coming out of Sture and the main port in Bergen, means that any ship over 80 feet long, including military vessels, has to get approval from Fedje at least an hour in advance in order to enter the area, to begin with. The Helge Ingstad is over that length and was in constant communication with the VTS reassuring them that everything was under control.

This photo shows just how short a distance the tanker had to get underway so was barely moving and probably had a tug close by and definitely had a pilot on board. The tanker was heading north (right in the photo) and the frigate south. The frigate's resting place is shown to the right of the terminal.

The evidence points to the collision being around the far right of the photo. The two ships met head on and impacted on on their starboard sides with tankers anchor ripping into the frigate just ahead of the helicopter hanger. Given their relative heights I'd say that the frigate was heeled hard over in a last moment attempt to avoid the tanker. This exposed the below waterline hull to damage. The bridge would have known immediately the area of damage and not long after the taking water alarms would have been sounding. The track of the frigate is not known (they apparently only turned AIS on after beaching) but I suspect they has to go hard a port to keep the holes as far out of the water as they could. This would have taken them on a circular course onto the rocks, a manoeuvrer that probably saved the ship and definitely saved the crew.

These photos show the damage etc.

It is not surprising that the Norwegian Navy is being very tight lipped about what happened and little info has escaped. It looks like the career of the Captain of the frigate is over and the quick reactions of the team on the bridge saved him from manslaughter charges.

So, how did it happen? I am probably wrong but this is my theory. On Thursday a report briefly surfaced saying that other ships in the group were holding offshore waiting to see if they could help and that the group had been practising working in and out of the fjords on their way home from the NATO Trident exercise. Bear in mind that the Helge Ingstad was 'king' of this pack and with Bergen as its home base knew every inch of the coastline. The possibility is that having been hammering down the coast in the middle of the night, leading the pack in and out of islands with no-one watching they were in a euphoric mood believing they were invincible. After all, their ship was the supercar of the sea, turn on a dime. Only an Afrimax tanker ( http://maritime-connector.com/wiki/aframax/ ) is a 100,999 ton dime!

This is just after beaching, note the tug already there. probably the duty tug from the oil terminal. Note height out of water compared to now below.

Slipping deeper as the steel hawsers are installed to lash her to the shore. Photos taken Friday.

Night time pictures as workers try and stabilize the ship, lying in a precarious position between rocks on shore and deeper water. Norwegian MoD image.

Now for the interesting bit. My theory could well have been right,

Chris Cavas‏Verified account @CavasShips11h11 hours ago

"#HELGE INGSTAD Turn!!" Timeline and audio transcripts of the #Norwegian #frigate collision. INGSTAD apparently moving at 17 knots (that's fast....) with no lights or ID system on. Tanker called the frigate on the radio and frantically warned them. http://goo.gl/YSNTTR

As to the tanker, it looks like her damage is limited to a paint job needed on the starboard anchor housing.